going catabolic to help with climbing?

[calzeno]

Hi. Im not sure if Im on the right forum or what. I'm not actually into bodybuilding (i'm a climbing hobbyist), but I was thinking there may be answerers to my question here.
I am currently on the quest of adjusting my strength to weight ratio, and increasing my stabilizers, and I was thinking what if I went catabolic a few times a week (on purpose)? is the auto****y involved in being catabolic easily directed through exercise? or is it random how the muscles that are eaten at are chosen? and what are the potential dangers of this kind of body management?

[TolerantLactose]

Most people call that "going on a diet."

[1MANU]

What do you mean by "going catabolic a few times a week"? Provide an example from your perspective.

You don't want to purposely lose LBM. You will just reduce your climbing ability and performance. Basically, do what TolerantLactose stated - reduce calories, keep training the same, and you will improve your muscle/fat ratio.

[AdamWW]

What do you mean by "going catabolic a few times a week"? Provide an example from your perspective.

You don't want to purposely lose LBM. You will just reduce your climbing ability and performance. Basically, do what TolerantLactose stated - reduce calories, keep training the same, and you will improve your muscle/fat ratio.

this

[AlexSays]

Forget whatever garbage you have 'learned' about 'going catabolic'. Your cells are constantly shifting between catabolic (breakdown) and anabolic (rebuild) states. Sounds like you've been fed some quack science

To increase your relative strength and become better at climbing you don't need to decrease your muscle mass. Strength is a huge part of climbing so deliberately trying to starve your muscles away is idiotic.

I would suggest two things:

- Decrease fat: this will give you a higher strength vs bodyweight relative strength and will also make you lighter and more mobile
- Incorporate more calisthenics: This will help your body learn to direct its strength to movements that move you and your bodyweight rather than just picking up or shifting an external weight. If you don't already do some kind of strength training then start

[OldFartTom]

catabolic a few times a week???
Give or take a bit, to [b]diet[b] you need to be consistently in caloric deficit for an extended period of time. Not on a Wednesday, or if the hour of the day is an even number or any other mad scheme, it's a long term thing. Stop overthinking this and with auto****y and other terms

Yes of course what exercise you do plays a role. If you are on the same calorie deficit and lie still in a hospital bed for a few weeks (that example used because of studies on this) you lose a higher proportion of muscle in your weight loss than someone who did hard exercise in that period. This is basic common sense and doesn't need fancy words, it is best described by the scientific axiom "no sh!t sherlock"

Basically... have a healthy balanced diet at an appropriate calorie level (see https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/macronutcal.htm to get an idea)
Have a health balanced exercise program that is a mix of general exercise, cardio conditioning and mobility - plus some training specific to your sport. The optimal ratio of general/specific for an individual, like any sport depends on the level you're at. Don't skimp on the general training while you develop and don't try to be too specific too early, as shortcuts will come back to bite you. Quicker developed muscles but being extra prone to tendon injury is not sustainable progress